Sealing means for vessels.



No. 785,000. PATENTED MAR. .14, 1905.-

J. M. HICKS.

SEALING MEANS FOR VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11. 1903.

Q/vih wooco I J UNITED STATES Patented March 14, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES MILNOR HICKS, OF SUMMIT, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE AUTO STOPPER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SEALING MEANS FOR VESSELS- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 785,000, dated March 14, 1905.

I Application filed August 11,1903. Serial No. 169,074. I

To a whom, it ntmy concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES MILNOR Hicks, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Summit, county of Union, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sealing Means for Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a sealing-cap for vessels; and it consists in certain elements and combinations fully set forth in and claimed at the end of this specification.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may understand. construct, and use my invention, I will proceed to describe it, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of a bottle provided with a cap secured over its mouth. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section of the same. i Fig. 3 is an elevation of the neck of abottle with the cap located upon it shown in vertical central section, showing one groove in bead at top of vessel-neck. Fig. t is a top view of the bottle-mouth and the three vertical grooves through the bead at the top of the neck, also the recesses in the upper part of said bead to act as part of a stop mechanism to limit the circumferential movement of the cap in sealing the mouth of the bottle. Fig. 5 is a bottom View of the cap, showing the indents made in it, which pass through the grooves in the bead and take under the said bead when turned to secure it over the bottle-mouth. Fig. 6 is a top view of the cap.

A is the body of the bottle.

B is the neck of the bottle.

C is a bead near the top of the neck B.

D is a groove substantially parallel with the top of the bottle-mouth beneath the bead C.

E represents vertical grooves inand through bead 0, usually three in number, but there may be only one, as in Fig. 3 and as shown and described in my patent of-December 8, 1903, No. 746,329.

F represents recesses in the upper part of bead C, extending circumferentially from grooves E a short distance, as shown.

Gr is an annular top surface to the cap. H

is a centrally-disposed depression in the top of l the cap, forming an annular surface junction with the inner diameter of the annular top surface G of the cap.

I is a drop-flange from the outer diameter of the top surface G.

J is a packing located in the under side of the top surface G, the width of the said packing J being such that the central depression H of the cap grips it, so that when the said cap is compressed upon the walls of the bottlemouth the packing J is forced against the inner edge of the bore of the bottle-mouth to seal it. The cap proper does not compress the packing in sealing by any device connected directly with the cap or the bottle; but the compression is done by means not connected therewith.

K represents indents or cars impressed in.

flange I.

L is an indent impressed in flange I near its top.

To seal the bottle, the cap, with its packing J in it, is placed over the bottle-mouth with the indents K in line with grooves E after the bottle has received its contents. Then the bottle and cap are placed under a press and the cap is forced down upon the bottle-mouth and packing J compressed onto the top of the walls of the bottle-mouth and against the inner edge of the top of the bore of the neck to the full extent of the capacity of the packing for compression. This brings the indents K down to the level of the under side of bead C,

so that by turning the bottle circumferentially the said indents K take under the said bead C and hold the cap in position. The stop-indent L enters one of the recesses F and prevents the cap from locating too far around when the bottle is turned. To open the bottle, the cap is turned circumferentially until the indents K match the grooves E, when the cap readily lifts off the bottle-mouth. In placing the cap over the bottle-mouth to close it should the indents or locking means not register exactly with the grooves in the bead on the bottle-neck they will spread outward and snap under the shoulder under the bead, and thus a locking will result.

Having now fully described my invention and the manner in which I have'embodied it, what I claim as new and as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a means for sealing vessels, the combination consisting of a vessel provided with a neck and with a circumferential bead surrounding its mouth, said bead being provided with avertical groove 0r grooves, the surface beneath said bead forming a shoulder there with parallel with the mouth; a cap having a top surface, and a flange pendent from its outer diameter, provided with indents for looking with said bead on the vessel; a disk of sealing material located and held within said cap, all constructed arranged and combined to operate toseal a vessel by compressing the sealing material in said cap upon the walls of the vessel-mouth and locking the indents of the said cap under the shoulder beneath the said bead, by turning the vessel and cap relatively to each other to open or close it substantially as specified.

2. In a means for sealing vessels, the combination consisting of a vessel provided with a neck and with a bead surroundingits mouth; the surface beneath said bead being substantially parallel with the top of said bead and bottle-mouth and provided with a vertical groove or grooves in said bead; a cap provided with flat top surface surrounding a centrallydepressed surface; downwardly and centrally inclined walls or surfaces joining the said top surface with the central depression; a flange pendent from the outer diameter of said top surface, provided with means for locking with the shoulder under said bead; sealing material located in said cap, all constructed, arranged and combined to operate to seal a vessel by compressing the sealing material to such a limit that the locking means take under the said shoulder on the vessel-neck and is locked or unlocked solely by circumferential movement of the cap or vessel, while under pressure, substantially as specified.

3. The combination in a sealing-cap for vessels consisting of an unbroken top surface; a

continuous flange pendent from the outer circumference of said top surface, provided with means to lock the said cap to a vessel by independent vertical and horizontal movements; said cap having a depression within the periphery of the top surface having its outer surface inclined downwardly and centrally of said cap, all constructed, and arranged when secured over the mouth of a vessel to include a taper chamber between the inner walls of the vesselmouth and the outer wall of the said'downwardly and centrally inclined depression in the said cap, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 5th day of August,

JAMES MILNOR HICKS. Witnesses:

THOMAS J. DEAGEN, WILLIAM PREs'rIN. 

